city slicker
A derisive term for a city dweller who is assumed to be (or actually is) completely ignorant of life in a rural setting, or suave and deceptive. Look at that fool city slicker—he has no idea how to get that horse to listen to him. Don't let that city slicker con you out of all your hard-earned money! The senator accused his challenger of being a city slicker who had no idea what it meant to live or work in the rural countryside.
slicker than snot on a doorknob
slang Very slippery. Be careful out there—ice has made the steps slicker than snot on a doorknob.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
city slicker
someone from the city who is not familiar with country ways. Them city slickers think we're stupid just because we talk different. The city slicker didn't know the first thing about fishing for trout.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
city slicker
A smart, sophisticated urbanite. This American colloquialism, dating from the 1920s, is presumably taken from the adjective “slick” in the sense of smooth and plausible. The cliché gained renewed currency with two motion pictures, City Slickers (1991) and its 1994 sequel. The first film, which won Jack Palance an Oscar for best supporting actor, concerns three city-dwelling friends who sign up for a two-week cattle drive.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer